Greystones Farm

River Eye at Greystones (c) Mike Boyes
Greystones_drone
Greystones River Eye (c) Mark Cox

Greystones River Eye (c) Mark Cox

The ancient meadows and rivers of Greystones Farm are home to a diverse range of wildlife. This nature reserve is also the site of the Salmonsbury Camp, an important meeting place during Neolithic and Iron Age periods and a Scheduled Monument.

Location

Greystones Lane
Bourton-on-the-Water
GL54 2EN

OS Map Reference

SP172209
What3Words: bridge.piglet.allies
A static map of Greystones Farm

Know before you go

Size
66 hectares
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Entry fee

Free
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Parking information

There is no public parking though Blue Badge parking is available, please scroll down to view more information.

Bicycle parking

Parking for 4 bicycles to the left of the Discovery Barn entrance

Grazing animals

Gloucester and Friesian cattle

Walking trails

Greystones' Wildlife Walk and the Time-Travel Trail, while the Oxfordshire Way long-distance path runs through the reserve.
Please note that there are no seats along the majority of the  trails, although there is a bench by the river Eye.

Access

The visitor centre and the path from the visitor centre to the replica Iron Age Roundhouse are suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
Greystones nature reserve is gently undulating and there are no steep sections. The walking trails are on level paths or on grassy tracks and there are no stiles to cross.

The meadows walk is closed during the wetter seasons of Autumn and Winter, This allows wildlife such as snipe to search for food undisturbed by people or dogs and the meadows to hold water without getting damaged by feet or people getting stuck in boggy ground.

Dogs

On a lead

We welcome responsible dog owners on the public rights of way and permissive paths. It is essential that dogs remain on leads as Greystones is a working dairy farm with free roaming cattle and wildlife that is easily disturbed.

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Facilities

Visitor centre
Accessible toilet
Baby changing facilities
Wifi
Disabled parking
Accessible trails

When to visit

Opening times

The nature reserve has open access throughout the year.

Toilets and baby changing facilities: Our facilities are open, depending on the availability of our volunteers so if travelling specially please check with us beforehand by emailing info@gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.uk or calling 01452 383 333.

Café: The Café is currently closed.

Discovery Barn: Usually open during the week but un-staffed

Roundhouse: Please contact us to find out when it's open

Best time to visit

May to September

About the reserve

This reserve combines several habitats: its wildflower-rich meadows are designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The Rivers Dikler and Eye both pass through
the farm and their banks support a variety of species including otter and water vole. The old farm buildings are used by migratory birds such as swallows and house martins, along with owls and bats.

This nature reserve is also the site of the Salmonsbury Camp, an important meeting place during Neolithic and Iron Age periods and a Scheduled Monument.

Contact us

Environmental designation

Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)

Parking information

There is no car park at Greystones Farm itself, visitors are asked to park in the village of Bourton-on-the-Water, just a 5-minute walk away.

The nearest public car park to the reserve is the coach and car park at 7 Station Road, GL54 2AA.

Parking is available at the reserve for blue badge holders – these spaces must be booked in advance by calling 01451 810853.

Coaches are able to park in the coach park on Station Road (300m from Greystones).

More detailed directions

From Stow-on-the-Wold
Head south on Fosse Way/Roman Road/A429. After 3.1 miles turn left onto Station Road. Parking is available in the Station Road car park (pay and display) on your right, behind the petrol station. From here cross Station Road and turn left along the pavement. Then turn right onto the narrow lane between two houses (marked with a ‘no through road’ sign). Then turn left onto Greystones Lane and follow until you reach the farm.

From Cirencester
Take the Fosse Way/A429 north via Northleach. Bourton-on-the-Water is on the right hand side and signposted.

From Gloucester
Take the A417 to the Air Balloon roundabout then take the A436 through Andoversford which will lead you onto the A429. Head into the village on Station Road and Greystones can be found a couple of hundred yards before the coach park.

From Cheltenham
Take the A40 to Andoversford before joining the A436, eventually linking up with the A429 outside Bourton where Greystones can be found along Station Road heading into the village.

From Bristol
Head north on the M5 and exit at junction 11A. Follow the A417 and take the A436 towards Andoversford and follow the above instructions for Gloucester and Cheltenham.

Information for dog owners

While dogs are welcome, we ask dog owners to note that this is access land and this means that dogs must be kept on short leads (2 metres or less) between 1st March and 31st July (as stated in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000).
Outside of these times dogs must be kept under effective control and on a short lead when near livestock.

Please come along prepared to clean up after your dog - dog poo can cause sickness in cows and people, particularly the children who visit our site on school trips.
Three dog bins are installed around the reserve – two on the Cemetery Lane and one on the Moore Lane.

 

Café information

While the café and shop are now closed, you can still enjoy a picnic on the benched seating area in front of the Discovery Centre.

Please be mindful to leave no trace and take all rubbish with you. BBQs are not permitted anywhere at Greystones Farm.

Greystones_Learning

Learning at Greystones Farm

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